


Forgiveness

by vvavavoom



Series: ATLA Stories [13]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arguing, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Izumi is a teenager, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26682676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vvavavoom/pseuds/vvavavoom
Summary: She was frowning deeply, her face turned down as her father reprimanded her. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were steely and cold."I hate you."
Relationships: Izumi & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: ATLA Stories [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861210
Comments: 25
Kudos: 168





	Forgiveness

Zuko tried to remain calm as he and his guards pulled up in front of the house that he knew Izumi must be inside of.

She’s really done it this time. He and his daughter had a disagreement earlier about her going to Republic City without a chaperone and she had snuck out of the palace in defiance. It took him longer than he liked to track her down whilst he tried not to have a panic attack or do something hasty like declaring a national emergency for a manhunt.

The Fire Lord rapped on the door three times then held his fists by his side to prevent them from busting it down. About a minute later a servant opened the door as her face turned pale white when she realized who she was greeting.

“Good Evening.” He said in the politest tone he could muster, “Sorry to arrive unannounced but I have reason to believe that the Princess has come to visit Kimiko unexpectedly and I’ve come to retrieve her.”

“Y-yes my lord!” The servant bowed to him and quickly ran through the back hallway. Zuko wanted to follow her but he didn’t want to be rude. This wasn’t his house after all.

He could hear a movement going on in the back of the house and a moment later an older woman walked into the foyer with Kimiko and his daughter in tow. Izumi’s armed were crossed over her chest and her glare could rival Mai’s.

“Fire Lord Zuko!” The matron of the house bowed. “My apologies! I had no idea that the Princess came to visit Kimiko without your permission! I assure you that we will deal with her accordingly.” The mother frowned at her daughter who shrunk back.

“No, please.” Zuko held a hand up. “It’s not her fault at all. Don’t punish her on my account.” He turned to his own daughter. “Izumi, lets go. I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.”

“Why did you come all the way over here? I was going back on my own.”

“Yes, well when I discovered that my daughter was missing, I naturally made it my business to come get you myself.” He lost his composure. “What we’re you thinking Izumi? What if something had happened to you? Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

“Ok, Dad, I get it. You’re embarrassing me.” She looked back at her friend and her mother who were awkwardly standing behind her.

“Oh! Embarrassing?” He raised his voice. “You’re worried about being embarrassed? I was going out of my mind looking for you!”

“I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal about this! Kya goes out alone all the time!”

“That’s great for Kya! She’s not my kid, you are. You are the Fire Princess, that means anyone could hurt you for that reason alone. This is exactly why you’re not ready to do things on your own Izumi. I can’t believe you would do something so reckless!”

She was frowning deeply, her face turned down as her father reprimanded her. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were steely and cold.

“I hate you.”

Zuko froze. All his anger deflated as he processed what he just heard.

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.

Izumi quickly pushed past him and marched into the mobile waiting in front of the house without another word. Zuko still hadn’t moved where he was standing. She hates him. His own daughter hates him, and it was all his fault.

It wasn’t until one of the guards ushered him outside and into the vehicle that he’d snapped out of his daze. Izumi was turned completely away from him and facing the window. He could hear her sniffles and wanted to lay a hand on her shoulder to comfort her but quickly decided against it. The ride was silent. Zuko spent the entire time trying to think of what to say to her. What does a parent say to that?

I hate you.

Does she really hate him? Was he being unreasonable? Was he just like his father?

When they arrived at the palace, Izumi jumped out and basically ran to her room. Zuko sighed as he scrubbed a hand over his face. How could he have messed things up so badly? What was he doing wrong? He wanted nothing more than to approach his daughter and plead with her to hear him out.

But he knew that she needed time to cool down. And he also knew that if she told him she hated him again he would probably have an emotional break down. So, he left her in her room and spent the rest of the evening wallowing in his feelings.

-  
Izumi heard someone softly knocking on her door. It was late and her handmaids had already helped her prepare for bed earlier, so she knew who was on the other side of the knock without looking.

“Come in.”

Her father quietly entered her room with a tray of tea. He set it down and sat down next to his daughter wordlessly. They sat in silence for a few minutes, each finding the courage to speak.

Finally, Zuko said. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier, Izumi. We were both angry and… we said some hurtful things.”

“I’m sorry too, Daddy.” She hugged him. He hugged her back laying his head atop of hers, breathing a sigh of relief. A moment later she whispered something so low that he almost didn’t hear it.

“Do you hate me?”

Zuko’s heart constricted. It was so obvious. Izumi was so much like him. As levelheaded and calm as she could be, she was still his daughter. Every time she acted headstrong and impulsive and hot tempered; he saw himself in her. But now as she spoke in her tiny voice, he could hear her remorse; he knew that she was just as insecure as he was.

“Izumi, have you… ever loved something so much it hurts?” He said in a low voice.

Izumi thought for a second. Was love supposed to hurt?

“There are so many people that I love deeply Zumi.” He softly continued. “I love your grandmother and grandfather. I love all of your aunts and uncles. I love Druk too. They each have a special place in my heart. But you…”

“You have my whole heart. I love you so much it kills me Izumi.” His voice was thick with emotion. “I used to think I knew what that meant before but then I met you and I knew.”

Still confused she asks, “Is that a bad thing?”

Zuko chuckled as he wound his arms tighter around her. “No Turtleduck, not a bad thing at all.”

“But why does it hurt? Is it because I...?”

“No, no. I love you so much that trying to put it into words feels impossible.” He rubs a hand over his eyes. “I’m sorry I’m not really explaining it well, but the point is that you- you make me happier than I ever thought was possible.”

“But why?”

Zuko laughs again, squeezing her. “Why? I love you because you’re you, silly. I don’t need any other reason why.”

Izumi still didn’t get it. But she did know one thing. She loved her dad too. She always has. Even when he was being grumpy and didn’t let her do the things she wanted to like not allowing an extra fruit tart after dinner or making her go to bed after catching her reading late at night or not letting her go to Republic City on her own, she still loved him.

“That’s why,” he gently tilts her chin up to meet his eyes “I couldn’t hate you even if I tried Izumi. No matter what you say or do or think or feel, I will always, always, always love you.”

Izumi shuts her eyes as tears start to fall. She hugs him again, burying her face in his chest. “I don’t hate you Dad!” She heaved in a breath. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it.”

As a teenager Zuko never understood how Uncle could forgive him so easily for all the horrible things he’d done and said. And he’d done some stupid, awful things. But he knew that he would forgive Izumi for all those things and more. He understood the kind of power that unconditional love held.

“Shh, It’s alright.” Zuko gently stroked her hair as he held her close. A few rouge tears escaped his eyes as well. “I don’t hate you too.”

“I shouldn’t have snuck out without telling you and I shouldn’t have yelled at you and I shouldn’t have said that. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry too Izumi, I… overreacted. I know that you’re growing up and I don’t like it but that’s not fair to you.”

She wiped her eyes, trying to control her hiccups. “I was being a brat. I shouldn’t have acted like that.”

“Izumi, you’re a teenager now. It’s my job to guide you and it’s your job to challenge me every step of the way. You’re allowed to your opinions and feelings. I know that you’re a good kid and you’re quickly becoming a young woman and to be honest, that scares me.” He takes a deep breath. “And I know that you didn’t mean what you said earlier. You’re too much like me for your own good. I used to say the most hurtful things to your grandfather in anger and I still regret them to this day. You have a gift with words Izumi, please don’t waste it on anger.”

Izumi winced in guilt. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to worry about love.” He reassures her. “It’s behind us now.”

“Thank you, Dad. You’re too good to me, I don’t deserve you.”

He smiles warmly. “Trust me, it’s the other way around. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I must have done something right. I am so proud of you, Zooms.”

Izumi blushed a deep red and hugged her father again. This time she whispered. “I love you Dad.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please please please leave a comment and tell me what you think!! Thank you!!


End file.
